We had dinner at Blu Restaurant two weeks ago, where we redeemed the $25 for $50 worth of food coupon the Boyfriend acquired on Pinchit. Despite the restaurant’s central location, I’d never noticed it before because it was overshadowed by The Sports Club/LA dominating that intersection. If you’ve walked past the Sports Club, you’ve walked past Blu.

From where we sat in the restaurant, we had a nice, 4th-floor view of Grant Avenue with its Ionic architecture and Saks Fifth Avenue banners, which was a pleasant departure from the Victorian hipster squalor that defines most of San Francisco. I started off the meal with a tasty cocktail (whose name I can’t remember) that contained Skyy Blue, blue curacao, and real blueberries.

For appetizers, we ordered the Ahi Poke and Fava Bean Bruschetta. Both tasted great, but since I was starving, I scarfed down the poke without paying too much attention to the details. However, I do remember that the chili oil on the bruschetta had a distinct, orange-y flavor I’d never encountered before. I also remember that the wonton crisps accompanying the poke were fluffier, softer, and more buttery than most chips that come with ceviches.

For my entree, I ordered the Grilled Prather Ranch Top Sirloin because I will still hungry after the appetizer, and nothing less than steak would fill me up. I told the waitress that I wanted my steak medium-rare; we discovered, after I started eating, that the steak she brought me was actually rare, but that was ok, as I was too hungry to be picky and it turned out to be a good steak anyway. The sides were slightly unconventional; what I thought was mashed potato was actually whipped garbanzos, which added a pleasant, unexpected flavor to the dish. I was less fond of the artichokes, which tasted generally weird and had these awful skins that were too hard to be swallowed, no matter how much I chewed.

The Boyfriend had the Oxtail and Tomato Ragout for his entree. I tried too little of it to remember what it tasted like. The Boyfriend remembers liking it but doesn’t remember why.